MCT for a 3rd grader

[imhim]

I am thinking for next year. This year we are doing FLL 2 and WWE2, and AAS.

 

But if I were to switch, would it be the Island books? And do you use all the books? Voc, poetry, writing, etc, etc, or just a few ?

 

WOuld you keep doing FLL, or WWE, or AAS, or switch completely?

Thank you.

[radiobrain]

I would say Island would be the best place to start with a 3rd grader, unless that 3rd grader is really, really, really advanced in LA. The format is so different and enjoyable, I believe the Island level is still preferable to many advanced 3rd graders...even if they might understand a lot of it already.

 

You can choose not to do the poetry and vocab books, but I think the whole shebang is best. ;) And when I say "whole shebang" I mean the 'basic' HS package.

 

I would say that you would drop FLL, can keep doing WWE (different set of skills) and keep doing your AAS spelling.

 

That is my humble, sad, and personal opinion. :D

[Capt_Uhura]

My opinion would be to drop FLL (you can still do the narration parts and art discussion parts), do MCT Island level, and keep WWE and AAS. MCT does not cover spelling at all. WWE is a completely different skill set and will reinforce grammar topics discussed in MCT Island. I would do all the books, buying the basic homeschool package. I did MCT Island w/ my advanced 1st grader last year. He LOVED LOVED LOVED it. He is now doing Town level w/ his big brother but I have no expectations for him to do the writing in Paragraph Town. He will continue w/ WWE3, Bravewriter-style writing, and spelling and beginning to write his own narrations for history and science. I'll then repeat Town level w/ him at a later date focusing on SWB grammar stage writing.

[Dana]

:iagree: with both posters.

 

We started with Island level (all books) in 3rd grade this year. We're also doing AAS and WWE 2 (getting closer to finishing & starting WWE 3).

 

We'd done some grammar before (parts of speech mainly with Schoolhouse Rock). Going through Grammar Island helped quite a bit with the basics and Practice Island is reinforcing things. We are also using Rex Barks occasionally since I do intend to do sentence diagramming later on.

 

I haven't used FLL, but it sounds like the Island level would be plenty.

We do use the Poetry book and Building Language. I really enjoy the poetry (although we aren't getting to it as often as I'd like).

[imhim]

Wow, thank you for the insight!

Since MCT is pricy, I wonder if I can reuse some books for my other 3 children (5 and younger) later on.

 

So there is no spelling in MCT, nor writing, like WWE2 - my dd loves WWE2, am glad to keep it going.

 

Does it cover literature, or do I need literature study in 3-rd? And what would that be?

[JoJosMom]

My DD is a third grader. We're doing both this year. FLL/WWE is our primary Language Arts and MCT is "fun grammar" (she named it:001_huh:). We are following one of the suggested schedules in the FLL book, have recently sped up WWE to two scheduled weeks in one actual week, and mix in MCT for enjoyment as the mood hits. We have the MCT basic Island package and use all the books. This portion of our homeschool adventure is going swimmingly.

 

This is our first year, however, so I'd take my advice with a grain of salt. HTH. :001_smile:

[Crimson Wife]

Since MCT is pricy, I wonder if I can reuse some books for my other 3 children (5 and younger) later on.

 

You can re-use everything if you have the student do Practice Island on notebook paper or a whiteboard. That's the only consumable item.

 

So there is no spelling in MCT, nor writing, like WWE2 - my dd loves WWE2, am glad to keep it going.

 

There is composition in MCT but not narration, copywork, or dictation.

 

Does it cover literature, or do I need literature study in 3-rd? And what would that be?

 

Literature is not covered by MCT. Whether you want to start a lit program in 3rd is up to you. DITHOR from HOD might interest you. It looked really good when I previewed a friend's copy.

[Dawn E]

We use Island in addition to our regular grammar, too. Dd was advanced in LA, but I'm still glad we chose the Island level. It is a very fun, delightful introduction to the series. We are also enjoying the other books...my love for Building Language is actually growing, though I still feel it is probably the weakest of the lot. I think you will benefit from purchasing the entire lot of books for the series, and I doubt you'll regret the expense once you begin using them.

[Laurel]

Wow, thank you for the insight!

Since MCT is pricy, I wonder if I can reuse some books for my other 3 children (5 and younger) later on.

 

So there is no spelling in MCT, nor writing, like WWE2 - my dd loves WWE2, am glad to keep it going.

 

Does it cover literature, or do I need literature study in 3-rd? And what would that be?

 

MCT is nonconsumable, so you can use it for your younger kids later with little additional expense. The only consumable book is Practice Island. (And I know some people do the practice sentences on the white board, which would make even that nonconsumable.)

 

There is writing in MCT, but it is a different skill set, a different kind of writing than WWE. I think they complement each other well.

 

Have you seen MCT's Classics in the Classroom, for literature?